James Somers - The Order of Shaddai

“I thought you might be interested.”

“And when this voyage is concluded?”

“The ship is yours, of course,” Isaiah said.

It seemed like too sweet a deal to pass up. Stephen was running for his life back to Wayland. He would not return to Nod anytime soon-if he ever did. What else did he have to do, but take the High Priest up on his generous offer?

“How long until we go to Macedon?” Levi asked.

“As I understand it, the emissary from Macedon is already on his way to Millertown where he can get a message to us directly. But it will take him some time to arrive. It will likely be several months from now before we send our priests with the Word. In the meantime you can take provisions and money and go to Hopple where you’ll find the ship waiting for you.”

“Hopple?” Levi asked. “But Hopple is just a small fishing village on the northern coast.”

“It is indeed and generally goes unnoticed by Mordred. Nevertheless, we have the ship stored there for just such emergencies. And it’s not been discovered yet.”

“I’ll depart tomorrow for Hopple if it pleases you,” Levi said with a grin on his face. He was going to get back to the sea, the one place he loved more than any other.

“Very good, Captain,” Isaiah said. “I’m sure it goes without saying that should you deceive us in some way-take the ship and the money-and leave off from the task we’re sending you for, it would not go well for you.”

“It does…but you just said it.”

Isaiah took a sip of his tea, grinning over the brim of his cup at the sea captain. “Yes, I did.”

“I still don’t understand why you don’t just stay here with us at the Temple,” Ethan said. The boy was dressed in his new robes. They were blue with a red sash indicating his status as a pupil under the tutelage of a mentoring warrior-priest.

“I’m not a priest, Ethan,” Levi said. “This just isn’t where Shaddai wants me to be. I’m a man of the sea and the Almighty will make a way for me to get back to serving him in that way-I’m certain of it.”

“Joseph will escort you back to the river and you’ll be able to leave through a different way than we came in,” Gideon said. He offered his hand to the sea captain. “I have a feeling we’ll meet again, but if not, then I’m sure we’ll see you in the Kingdom of Shaddai when life’s journey is over.”

Joseph and Levi both carried saddlebags with enough provisions to get the sea captain started on his journey. Besides that though, the bags were heavy with gold, which Isaiah had given to Bonifast to aid him in his journey and to procure the necessary materials and crew for his new ship awaiting his arrival at the fishing village of Hopple.

He kept this part of his leaving from both Gideon and Ethan. Isaiah did not want them to worry about him or become distracted by the knowledge that the sea captain was working for The Order. And when it came time to choose someone for the mission of escorting the Word to the Isle of Macedon, Isaiah did not want Gideon or Ethan to insinuate themselves, knowing they would be sailing with Bonifast. Because it pleased Isaiah, Levi honored this request.

“We’ll be seein ya, boys!” Levi said. He turned and followed Joseph the priest along the winding corridor which would take them to an intersecting point with the river running down the mountain. Ethan watched until the two men were out of sight and then he joined Gideon at the stone railing.

The balcony overlooked the entire gorge below. They stood at the top of the cylindrical wall built by The Order-over a thousand feet in height. Just above them, it opened up and the clouds hung almost low enough to touch. They were completely hidden from the outside world.

“Well, that’s that,” Ethan said. “I’m going to miss him.”

“He’s a good friend-a good man.”

“Do you really think we’ll see him again?”

“Only Shaddai knows,” Gideon said. He paused. “I hope we will. In the meantime, you’ve got training to tend to, and there’s no time like the present to begin. Let’s have a race back down to the courtyard. Pacing will win out in this one!”

Gideon shot away with Ethan quickly falling in behind his mentor, smiling all the way.

Hevas Rommil gazed out his window at the docks beyond. The burly Wraith General sipped on a cup of wine as he watched the galleon, bearing their emissary to Millertown in Nod, follow the setting sun toward the distant horizon. He had baited the trap, but Hevas wondered how successful this plan would actually be.

It was Lord Mordred’s intent to draw the boy with a plea for the Word in the Isle of Macedon. Hevas had been the Wraith General responsible for eliminating the Word in this island, and it seemed ridiculous to seek it again. But as Mordred’s messenger had said, “This is only a ploy to destroy the Deliverer.”

It had been nearly a month since word had come to Hevas of his twin brother’s death at the hands of the Deliverer. He had died in defense of Lord Mordred and had taken the blow meant for him there in the throne room of Emmanuel Palace. His brother had always been a brave man and a cunning warrior. Hevas missed him.

Rommil did not know whether this plan would actually draw the boy out of the Temple, but he certainly hoped. He longed to destroy the boy with his own hands. If he got a hold of the Deliverer, he would make him regret ever spilling the blood of a Rommil.

“You may carry word back to our lord, Mordred. The emissary is on his way to Millertown,” Hevas said. “Once he arrives, he will dispatch a message to the Temple desiring the Word to be carried to Macedon.”

“Very good, Rommil,” Jericho said. “Your brother would be proud.”

Rommil turned sharply at the mention of his brother. “Lord Jericho, I want to be the one to kill the boy, if and when he should arrive here on Macedon.”

“I can understand your desire to avenge your brother, Hevas,” Jericho said, emerging from the shadows to pass through a chair. “But we must be patient. It is not certain the boy will be the one to bear the Word to Macedon. Isaiah might very well send someone more qualified and experienced for this journey. After all, it would be risky to send the boy outside of the borders of Nod, even for such a noble task.”

Rommil considered it. “Then why do we bother baiting this trap? Surely, their High Priest will want to keep the boy hidden from us. The Temple is impenetrable while Shaddai’s angels protect it. Isaiah will never send the boy away from the one place where he is safe.”

Jericho smiled as he watched the setting sun and the silhouette of the galleon on the horizon. “If I have anything to say about it, Isaiah will soon realize that not even the Temple itself will be a safe haven for the Deliverer.”

It had been almost four months since Sarah had watched Gideon depart for the Temple with his new companions. She had watched her secret husband leaving, yet again, through her tears. When would she have him to herself as she longed to? Gideon had still not given her a certain answer.

Often, she wondered why she had accepted his proposal. It was part of the vow of a priest of Shaddai to remain unmarried, not that Shaddai forbade marriage, but because of the complete separation of The Order. They required it and Gideon had sworn himself to it as a child.

Sarah had not asked for his love, but now she could not live without it. Gideon meant to leave The Order someday by his own admission. But she was beginning to wonder if the day would ever come when he actually performed the deed. The appearance of the Deliverer would only complicate his decision further.

Sarah crossed the street, heading for the physician’s office two buildings down from the Willow Tree Inn. Mr. Hobb was the Healer in Millertown-a lithe man of nearly fifty years with wire-rimmed glasses and a white receding hairline. Hobb was ever kind and well versed in the medical arts.